Agriculture: Cattle

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to develop plans to reduce nitrous oxide excretions from cattle by promoting alternative non-meat diets amongst the general public.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government recognise that climate change is one of the most serious challenges facing the world today, and helping all sectors of the economy address this challenge is a key priority. The livestock sector makes a significant contribution to UK eating habits as part of a healthy balanced diet, and also sustains traditional landscapes and habitats. The meat and livestock industry recognises that it needs to reduce its environmental impact and is developing a road map to achieve this, which is to be welcomed.
	Consumers also have a role to play and want to be able to make informed choices about what they eat. They are less receptive to being told by others what they should eat. Our approach is to support industry efforts to maximise the benefits it delivers and minimise the negative impacts, and to ensure consumers have access to information that they can rely on to make informed choices about their diet and lifestyle.

Agriculture: Dairy Farms

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have regarding compliance by the United Kingdom dairy herd sector with good practice targets, including measures to reduce mastitis, spacious enhancement for herd and clusters, and healthy rumen diet practices.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The welfare of dairy cattle is the responsibility of their owners and keepers. Animal Health carries out random and targeted visits to dairy farms to check the welfare of the cattle and takes enforcement action where poor welfare is found.

Agriculture: Sheep

Lord Vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 4 February (WA 117), what is the estimated cost to the United Kingdom sheep industry from implementing European Union proposals for the electronic individual identification of sheep; what are the expected advantages of introducing the measure; what consideration was given to the advice of United Kingdom veterinary experts; and on what basis their impact assessment concluded that the introduction of the measure was desirable.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Detailed information about the cost of implementation in England is provided in the regulatory impact assessment on electronic identification (EID) of sheep and goats. This is available on the Defra website. An updated version will accompany the consultation that is planned for the spring.
	We have always taken the view that the cost of implementing EID is disproportionate to the benefits. However, the majority of other member states do not share our concerns. Hilary Benn recently raised these concerns again directly with Commissioner Vassiliou, and will continue to press for further changes to the requirements to help reduce the implementation burdens on our industry. However, EID is an EU obligation which we have to implement from 31 December 2009; failure to do so is likely to result in single farm payment disallowance and EU infraction proceedings.
	Independent epidemiological modelling has identified that the introduction of EID and individual recording could reduce costs of managing an outbreak of exotic disease over the current UK system by up to 13 per cent as a result of fewer infected premises and fewer animals being culled. It will also improve our ability to track individual animal movements. There will also be management benefits for those farmers who want to make use of EID and gather individual performance data to make their businesses more profitable.

Asylum Seekers: Congo

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers from the Congo were forcibly returned between 2005 and 2008.

Lord West of Spithead: The following table shows the number of Congolese asylum cases, including dependants, who were removed or departed voluntarily from the United Kingdom between 2005 and 2008.
	Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html.
	
		
			 Removals and voluntary departures (1) ofasylum cases (2), by type, nationals of Congo, January 2005 to December 2008 
			 Number of departures (3) 
			 Year 2005 2006 2007 (P) 2008 (P) 
			 Asylum cases, nationals of Congo 65 55 30 35 
			 of which: 
			 Enforced removals and notified voluntary departures (4) (5) 60 50 20 25 
			 Assisted voluntary returns (6) 5 5 * 5 
			 Other voluntary departures (7) 5 5 10 5 
		
	
	(1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 (- = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding.
	(2) Persons who had sought asylum at some stage, including dependants.
	(3) Removals and voluntary departures recorded on the system as at the dates on which the data extracts were taken.
	(4) Due to a reclassification of removal categories, figures include asylum removals which have been performed by enforcement officers using port powers of removal and a small number of cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls.
	(5) Since October 2006, figures include persons leaving under facilitated return schemes.
	(6) Persons leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes run by the International Organization for Migration. May include some cases leaving under the assisted voluntary return for irregular migrants programme and some cases where enforcement action had been initiated.
	(7) Since January 2005, persons who, it has been established, left the UK without informing the immigration authorities.
	(P) Provisional figures.

Asylum Seekers: Zimbabwe

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their review of the situation of Zimbabwean asylum seekers unable to enter or leave the United Kingdom, as foreshadowed by the Prime Minister in July 2008.

Lord West of Spithead: Following the recent Asylum and Immigration Tribunal country guidance judgment, all cases are being reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Those asylum seekers deemed to need protection will be granted it.
	Where the independent courts have confirmed that it is safe for an individual to return home we do not consider that it is right to ask the UK taxpayer to support them. Instead we expect those not at risk to return home, and hundreds of Zimbabweans have done so since we halted enforced returns in September 2006.
	Any failed asylum seeker who is unable to return home through no fault of their own can apply for support.

Asylum Seekers: Zimbabwe

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers from Zimbabwe were forcibly returned between 2005 and 2008.

Lord West of Spithead: The attached table shows the number of Zimbabwean asylum cases, including dependants, who were removed or departed voluntarily from the United Kingdom between 2005 and 2008.
	Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at www. homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html.
	
		
			 Removals and voluntary departures(1) of asylum cases(2), by type, nationals of Zimbabwe, January 2005 to December 2008 
			 Number of departures (3) 
			 Year 2005 2006 2007 (P) 2008 (P) 
			 Asylum cases, nationals of Zimbabwe 295 285 210 200 
			 of which: 
			 Enforced removals and notified voluntary departures (4) (5) 190 60 70 80 
			 Assisted voluntary returns (6) 105 220 115 110 
			 Other voluntary departures (7) * 5 25 15 
		
	
	(1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 (- = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding.
	(2) Persons who had sought asylum at some stage, including dependants.
	(3) Removals and voluntary departures recorded on the system as at the dates on which the data extracts were taken.
	(4) Due to a reclassification of removal categories, figures include asylum removals which have been performed by enforcement officers using port powers of removal and a small number of cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls.
	(5) Since October 2006, figures include persons leaving under facilitated return schemes.
	(6) Persons leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes run by the International Organization for Migration. May include some cases leaving under the assisted voluntary return for irregular migrants programme and some cases where enforcement action had been initiated.
	(7) Since January 2005, persons who it has been established left the UK without informing the immigration authorities.
	(P) Provisional figures.

Bees

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to introduce measures to combat the varroa mite amongst British bee colonies.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Statutory controls for Varroa were removed in 2006 following public consultation as the pest had become endemic throughout most of mainland UK. Varroa remains a serious problem for beekeepers but it can be kept under control with appropriate treatments and hive management techniques. The National Bee Unit provides written material on Varroa management (available on its Beebase website) and issues advice to beekeepers both through comprehensive training sessions on effective management of Varroa and when visiting individual beekeepers. The future management of this pest is addressed in a new 10-year plan to protect and improve the health of honey bees in England and Wales.

Bees

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will provide additional resources for training bee inspectors; and what steps they are taking to support the Bee Farmers' Association and the British Beekeepers' Association in protecting the welfare of bees.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: In order to implement the first stage of a 10-year plan to improve and protect the health of honey bees in England and Wales, additional resources have been added to the existing programme budget of £1.3 million pa, a further £1.137 million in 2009-10 and £1.158 million in 2010-11. Additional inspectors are being recruited to help with implementation and they will receive the same comprehensive training programme as existing inspectors, using some of the additional resources.
	Beekeeping groups are supported in their work under the bee health programme undertaken by Defra's National Bee Unit, which provides a free advisory and inspection service as well as a substantial training and education programme, available free of charge to all beekeepers.

Bees

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what the registration benefits for bee keepers are; and what steps they are taking to increase registration.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Beekeepers registered on the National Bee Unit's Beebase database can request a free apiary inspection visit from their local bee inspector and receive information and advice on disease recognition and control. Registration is free of charge.
	The Secretary of State recently announced additional funding of £2.3 million to support implementation of the initial phase of a 10-year plan to improve and protect the health of honey bees in England and Wales. One aim is to gain a more accurate picture of the numbers and distribution of beekeepers and the status of the health of their colonies and increase significantly the proportion of beekeepers registered on Beebase.

Bees

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are working with international partners to tackle the global spread of varroa mite amongst bee colonies.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Varroa mite has spread to most areas of the world where honey bees (Apis mellifera)are kept and it is present on all continents except Australia. Therefore current efforts are focused on developing effective control methods to keep mite numbers below levels that are harmful to honey bee colonies. The UK participates in the COLOSS project, an international network for exchange of information on colony losses. Investigating the effects of varroa is an important part of this work.

Consumer Credit

Lord Smith of Leigh: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will take action against high rates of interest being charged by lenders to those with poor credit ratings.

Baroness Vadera: The Government fully understand recent concerns over high interest rates that some lenders charge. We secured agreement from credit card lenders to develop fair principles for any interest rate increase they introduce on reviewing an individual's account. These came into force in January 2009 and provide extra protections when a customer's or group of customers' interest rate is changed as a result of a perceived change in their ability to repay their debts. The Government have also implemented a number of measures to provide vulnerable and low-income consumers with access to affordable credit and free debt advice.
	The Government are monitoring the market for high-cost credit closely, including through the new Consumer Finance Forum, chaired by Gareth Thomas, the Minister for Consumer Affairs. Our analysis suggests that lenders within this sector are beginning to support higher income groups or having to leave the market altogether because of their own financing difficulties. This is putting low-income groups at risk of being forced into the hands of illegal money lenders. We have established dedicated illegal money-lending teams across the UK to tackle this criminal activity, but we also want to avoid further restricting access to credit for these more vulnerable groups. The Government are not persuaded of the case for an interest rate cap because of the risk it will force more low-income consumers into the hands of illegal lenders. This view was supported by the Competition Commission in its market investigation of the home credit sector.

Cyclists: Safety

Lord Krebs: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they assess the effectiveness of measures to improve the safety of cyclists in urban areas.

Lord Adonis: It is the responsibility of local highway authorities to assess the effectiveness of measures to improve the safety of cyclists in their areas.
	However, the Department for Transport (DfT) has commissioned a research project looking at a range of road safety and cycling issues. This will examine the following topics:
	Road user safety and cycling data;cycling infrastructure;attitudes and behaviours; and bicycle helmets.
	This will include some assessment of the effectiveness of measures to improve the safety of cyclists in urban areas. The project has been commissioned from a consortium led by TRL.
	The contract began on 21 August 2008 and will run for 24 months. The department expects to publish the final reports in autumn 2010.
	The department has also just commissioned an evaluation of all 12 of the new cycling demonstration city and towns. The evaluation will assess outcomes under all of the DfT Delivering a Sustainable Transport System (DaSTS)/Towards a Sustainable Transport System(TaSTS) goals, including safety. We expect the evaluation to report in autumn 2012.

Employment: Agency Workers

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether temporary and agency workers are being deprived of normal employment rights and welfare benefits; and, if so, what remedial action they will take.

Baroness Vadera: The Government have reviewed the current framework and coverage of employment rights, including those for temporary and agency workers, to see if they were appropriate and fair and supported the aim of high participation in work. In March 2006 the outcome was published in our policy document Success at Work; protecting vulnerable workers, supporting good employers. We concluded that the existing framework met the labour market's current needs and there was no immediate need for further legislation in this area.
	This remains our view. We will, however, be launching a consultation in the near future on the implementation of the EU Agency Worker's Directive, which will, consistent with the CBI-TUC agreement of 20 May 2008, introduce equal treatment for agency workers in respect of basic working and employment conditions, after 12 weeks in a given job.
	Regarding welfare benefits, agency workers whose average weekly hours are less than 16 may have access to jobseeker's allowance. There are no specific planned changes for agency workers.

Employment: Migrant Workers

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial provision they are making in (a) the current financial year, and (b) 2009—10, for informing migrant and temporary workers of their employment rights and entitlements, through citizens advice bureaux, churches and community centres, and other bodies.

Baroness Vadera: The Government are spending £1.2 million in this financial year on an awareness campaign to inform vulnerable workers, including migrant and temporary workers, about their employment rights. As part of this campaign, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is working with grassroots organisations, such as churches, mosques, community centres, and citizens advice bureaux, to distribute information and literature. We plan to invest a further £2.5 million on this campaign in each of 2009-10 and 2010-11.
	The Government have also spent £95,000 in this financial year on raising awareness of the national minimum wage among migrant workers through outreach work, posters and online activity. This has included working with the Polish, Lithuanian and Slovakian press in the UK, and working with various community organisations.

Employment: Migrant Workers

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they assess any risk of an underclass of temporary and migrant workers.

Baroness Vadera: If migrants come into the UK from outside the EU on a work-based migration route it is on the understanding that they are self-sufficient, so the question of being in an underclass does not arise.
	While in work, temporary and migrant workers make an important contribution to the national economy; we will not tolerate employers who exploit such workers. We continuously monitor the impact of our strategy to protect vulnerable workers, as set out in our policy statement Success at Work—Protecting Vulnerable Workers, Supporting Good Employers (March 2006). Most recently, we have implemented the measures emerging from the Vulnerable Workers Enforcement Forum, including a campaign on the employment rights for which Parliament has legislated targeting vulnerable workers, including migrant and temporary workers. We are spending £1.2 million on this campaign in this financial year, and plan to invest a further £2.5 million on it in each of 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Employment: Short-time

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are able, under existing legislation, to pay compensation to workers affected by short-time working in the present financial circumstances.

Baroness Vadera: There is currently no legislation which provides for such compensation. However, under certain circumstances, employees who are laid off may be entitled to a statutory guarantee payment from their employer. Information about these payments is available on the www.businesslink.gov.uk and www.direct.gov.uk websites. Employees who are laid off or on short-time working may be able to claim jobseeker's allowance for a limited period and should contact Jobcentre Plus about eligibility.

Equality: Public Service Agreement 15

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 3 March (WA 139), what improvements in participation and reduced discrimination for black and ethnic minority groups can be directly attributed to Public Service Agreement 15 (Equality).

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Government Equalities Office is the lead department for Public Service Agreement (PSA) 15 and reports on progress in delivering this PSA in its departmental reports. Success in relation to civic participation and workplace discrimination is measured through statistical indicators informed by data from the citizenship survey. For both of these indicators, baselines have been set but it is too early to assess progress against them.

EU: Asbestos

Lord Vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether asbestos cement roofing material, in use throughout the United Kingdom, is also regarded as a hazardous waste under European Union rules in Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Asbestos is classified as a hazardous waste in the European Waste Catalogue (EWC), which applies throughout the European Union.
	Although member states may decide to classify as non-hazardous any of the hazardous wastes listed in the EWC, they can only do this where they consider that the waste does not display any of the hazardous properties listed in Annex III to the Hazardous Waste Directive (91/689/EEC). They must notify the European Commission of such proposed changes, and other member states would then be consulted about whether such a change should be made to the EWC.
	We are not aware that any member state has proposed that asbestos should not be classified as hazardous on the EWC.

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the British Gas Group regarding the natural gas resources off the coast of Gaza.

Lord Davies of Abersoch: Our consulate-general in Jerusalem and our embassy in Tel Aviv have been in regular contact with British Gas Group regarding the natural gas resources off the coast of Gaza since British Gas Group first began exploration in 1999. Discussions have also taken place in the past year with the Cabinet Office and UK Trade and Investment. The most recent meeting on this matter was between the head of UK Trade and Investment at the British consulate-general in Jerusalem and representatives of British Gas Group in December 2008.
	In the last meeting BCG had with BG Group, discussion centred on BG's negotiations with Israel Electricity Company (IEC) concerning buying Gaza gas.

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the British Gas Group concerning the agreement to sell natural gas from the Gazan gas field to Israel via a pipeline to Ashkelon.

Lord Davies of Abersoch: None. No such agreement currently exists.

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what reports they have received about the renegotiation of the agreement made by the British Gas Group to sell natural gas from the Gazan gas field to Israel via a pipeline to Ashkelon following Israel's military action in Gaza.

Lord Davies of Abersoch: None. No such agreement between the British Gas Group and Israel exists.
	No agreements have been reached. BG Group negotiates directly with the Israel Electric Company and waits for the new government Cabinet to be formed in order to take the negotiations to higher levels. The issue of transferring the Gaza gas from the field to Ashkelon following the military action in Gaza has not been agreed on yet.

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to encouraging the involvement of the authorities in Gaza in the negotiations on the agreement made by the British Gas Group to sell natural gas from the Gazan gas field to Israel via a pipeline to Ashkelon.

Lord Davies of Abersoch: No such agreement exists. The competent Palestinian organisations are the Palestine Investment Fund and the Palestinian Energy Authority. The UK does not recognise the legitimacy of the current authorities in Gaza.

Houses of Parliament: Select Committees

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions and in what circumstances Ministers have refused to give evidence to parliamentary Select Committees during the past five years.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: This information is not held centrally.

Human Rights

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 24 February (WA 50), what are the reasons for the delay in announcing the timetable for the start and completion of their second consultation on measures to comply with the final judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Hirst (No 2) and with the obligation imposed on the United Kingdom by Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights to comply with the Court's final judgment.

Lord Bach: The Government remain committed to a two-stage consultation process in response to the Hirst (No 2) judgment. This is a sensitive and complex issue, and we must take account of a wide spectrum of opinion, as well as the practical implications for the courts, prison authorities and the conduct of elections. The solution that we reach must respect the court's judgment, whilst reflecting the traditions and context of the United Kingdom.

Human Rights

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to give effect to the convention right of prisoners to vote in the next general election in accordance with the final judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Hirst (No 2).

Lord Bach: As the noble Lord is aware, the Hirst (No 2) judgment obliges the UK Government to review the blanket ban on serving prisoners from voting.
	In response, the UK Government have undertaken the first stage of a two-stage consultation. The Government will consider their proposals for implementing the judgment following the second-stage public consultation, to which they are committed. It would be premature to formulate proposals before the second consultation has been completed.

Northern Ireland Office: Bonuses

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 28 January (WA 62) concerning the payment of bonuses to officials of the Northern Ireland Office, why the non-consolidated performance element of pay for staff at grades D2 to A is less than one seventeenth of that for the senior Civil Service.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The SCS reward arrangements are managed centrally by the Cabinet Office and are based on recommendations by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body, including the size of the non-consolidated performance-related pot. The reward arrangements for staff below SCS are delegated to individual departments, and agreed with HM Treasury, including that element of the pay bill which can be used for bonuses.

Northern Ireland Office: Bonuses

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is a requirement that all funding allocated to staff bonuses for the Northern Ireland Office should be spent in the year for which that allocation has been made; and what happens to funding that remains unspent.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Government's response to the recommendations of the Senior Salaries Review Body determines the maximum amount which can be spent on non-consolidated performance bonuses for senior Civil Service staff in particular years. This amount is expressed in terms of a percentage of the senior civil service pay bill which may only be used in recognition of performance during the year in question and cannot be used for any other purpose.
	For staff at grade A and below, an element of the annual pay remit must be used to recognise performance. At present the amount which can be spent on non-consolidated performance bonuses and special bonuses is up to a maximum of 0.94 per cent of the annual pay bill. This must be used to fund non-consolidated payments to staff in recognition of their performance throughout the relevant reporting period, and cannot be used for any other purpose.

Petitions

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Andrews on 27 February (WA 114), why the Department of Communities and Local Government does not keep a separate record of the number of petitions they receive, the text of them and the number of signatories; and why they do not publicise on their website details of the petitions they receive and the actions taken on them.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Andrews on 27 February (WA 114), whether they will introduce to the Department of Communities and Local Government the proposals set out for local authorities in Part 1 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill to notify a petition organiser in writing of what steps the department has taken or proposes to take in response to the petition and its reasons for doing so.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Andrews on 27 February (WA 114) indicating that a letter is normally sent to the originator of a petition confirming receipt, what criteria are applied in deciding whether to send such a letter; and what proportion of petitions do not receive such a letter.

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many petitions the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform received in (a) 2007 and (b) 2008; what steps the department has taken to publicise them; and whether they will put the text of the petitions received and the number of signatures in the Library of the House.

Baroness Vadera: Although the department records the number of letters it receives, we do not count the number of petitions separately. The text of petitions and the number of signatures could only be provided at disproportionate cost, again because they are not stored separately from other forms of correspondence.

Petitions

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what procedures the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has for receiving, acknowledging, dealing with and responding to petitions that it receives from members of the public.

Baroness Vadera: Petitions are received, acknowledged, dealt with and responded to in the same way as other correspondence received by the department. A letter is also normally sent to the originator of the petition confirming receipt.

Petitions

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many petitions the Scotland Office received in (a) 2007 and (b) 2008; what steps the office has taken to publicise them; and whether they will place the text of the petitions received and the number of signatures in the Library of the House.

Lord Davidson of Glen Clova: In 2007 the Scotland Office received one petition under the Private Legislation Procedure (Scotland) Act 1936. In accordance with the Act's General Orders, the petition was referred to the Examiner of Private Bills. There were no petitions under the Private Legislation Procedure Act (Scotland) 1936 in 2008. The Scotland Office does not record separately the number of other petitions received, and the numbers received in 2007 and in 2008 could only be ascertained at disproportionate cost.

Petitions

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what procedures the Scotland Office has for receiving, acknowledging, dealing with and responding to petitions that it receives from members of the public.

Lord Davidson of Glen Clova: Procedures for dealing with petitions to the Secretary of State under the Private Legislation Procedure Act (Scotland) 1936 are set out in the General Orders under the Act. Other petitions received by the Scotland Office are processed in the same way as other items of correspondence. Subsequent correspondence would be with the person or organisation which organised the petition.

Petitions

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Andrews on 27 February (WA 114), whether any actions have been taken in relation to civil servants in the Department for Communities and Local Government in response to a petition submitted to the department by members of the public which mentions those civil servants and which relates to the discharge of functions for which they are responsible.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what procedure is followed by the Department for Communities and Local Government in response to petitions that mention a civil servant of the department; and whether a document setting out the procedure is available.

Baroness Andrews: Our central correspondence IT system and website are not currently set up to record separately the number, text and responses to petitions. We will consider doing so as part of the design of a proposed replacement correspondence system.
	With regard to responding to the originator of petitions, it is the department's practice to respond to all letters unless a reply is specifically not requested. We would expect the reply to inform the petition organiser what steps the department has taken or proposes to take in response to the petition and its reasons for doing so. We do not record instances where letters are not sent.
	We do not record centrally petitions which mention civil servants and have no plans to do so. Petitions mentioning civil servants will be dealt with like any other, with the exception that the department has a complaints procedure, concerning the department administrative practices or service delivery, to which members of the public are referred if they make a complaint or allegation. I have placed a copy of the procedure and guidance in the Library of the House.

Post Offices

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government in relation to the arrangement by which Bank of Ireland operates savings and deposits accounts in the name of the Post Office: (a) how long is the term of the arrangement; (b) what are the dates of any break clauses; (c) what penalties would be payable if the arrangement were ended now by the Post Office; (d) what safeguards the arrangement contains in the event that Bank of Ireland becomes insolvent or is no longer of sufficient financial standing to ensure deposits in the name of the Post Office are secure; and (e) whether there is a force majeure clause.

Baroness Vadera: These are commercially confidential contractual matters for Post Office Ltd and Bank of Ireland.

Post Offices

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of the full contract between Bank of Ireland and the Post Office for Bank of Ireland to operate savings and deposits accounts in the name of the Post Office.

Baroness Vadera: This is a commercially confidential contract and a matter for Post Office Ltd and Bank of Ireland.

Prisons: Extremism

Baroness Neville-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to implement the recommendations to counter religious extremism outlined by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons in her report on HMP Belmarsh of 15 April 2008.

Lord Bach: There were no recommendations to counter religious extremism in this report.
	The only recommendation relating to Muslim prisoners in chapter 9 (recommendations, housekeeping points and good practice) was:
	9.8: Managers should explore the reasons for the alienation of many Muslim prisoners and take appropriate action. (HP5 1)
	Belmarsh produced an action plan, including the following recommendations:
	existing data will be analysed by religious registration and presented at the chaplaincy team meeting;MQPL (Measuring Quality of Prisoner Life) data and a report will be analysed to ascertain; differences by religion, and presented at the chaplaincy team meeting;prisoner forums to be used as part of the chaplaincy review to gauge attitudes and requirements of a cross section of chapel users. To be presented at the chaplaincy team meeting;Examine attitudes of Muslim prisoners in comparable situations (e.g. high security estate and London local prisons). To be presented at the chaplaincy team meeting;access research into attitudes of Muslims in the wider community. To be presented at the chaplaincy team meeting; andregular prisoner consultation groups will continue. Cross-functional work involving Imams to be enhanced. Advice of psychology team to be sought.
	The establishment action plan was produced by functional heads and agreed with the governor and then approved by the director of high security.

Public Bodies

Lord Selsdon: To ask Her Majesty's Government which Members of the House of Lords are appointees to the non-departmental public bodies listed under "Export Guarantees Advisory Council" in annex A to the report of the Cabinet Office entitled Public Bodies 2008; and what was their appointment and individual remuneration.

Baroness Vadera: There are no Members of the House of Lords currently appointed to the Export Guarantees Advisory Council.

Public Houses

Lord Hanningfield: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Carter of Barnes on 15 December 2008 (WA 18—19), what mechanisms they have in place to record the number of public house closures.

Lord Carter of Barnes: The Government have no mechanisms in place for recording the number of public house closures, as premises licences are not confined to one type of premises or licensable activity, and may be granted for any premises (e.g. pubs, nightclubs, hotels and theatres) which choose to sell alcohol, provide regulated entertainment or supply late night refreshment, singularly or in any combination. However, since the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003, DCMS has collected statistics on an annual basis by financial year from licensing authorities on premises licences which lapsed, were surrendered or suspended.

Public Houses

Lord Hanningfield: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Carter of Barnes on 15 December 2008 (WA 18—19), how many premises with a premises licence or a club premises certificate have closed in each of the past three years.

Lord Carter of Barnes: The department does not hold the information in the format requested, but can provide information on the number of premises licences which were surrendered, lapsed or suspended since April 2006. Some of these may relate to premises which are not authorised to sell or supply alcohol, because under the Licensing Act 2003 premises licences and club premises certificates are not confined to authorising the sale or supply of alcohol; they can also provide regulated entertainment and/or late night refreshment.
	Since the implementation of the Act, DCMS has been collecting alcohol, entertainment and late-night refreshment statistics on an annual basis by financial year from licensing authorities. During the period April 2006 to March 2007, 2,630 premises licences were surrendered, 232 lapsed and 70 were suspended, based on returns from around 76 per cent of licensing authorities. For the same period, 210 club premises certificates were surrendered, two lapsed and 13 were withdrawn.
	The April 2007 to March 2008 bulletin reported 3,786 premises licences were surrendered, 423 lapsed, 18 were suspended by a court, and 44 were subject to a closure notice (based on returns from around 93 per cent of licensing authorities). For the same period, 255 club premises licences were surrendered, seven lapsed and 13 were withdrawn.

Rural Payments Agency

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what fines have been levied on the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) in respect of faulty administration; to whom these fines are payable; when they were paid or are due to be paid; and from what sources the RPA finances the payment of these fines.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The RPA has had the following financial corrections applied by the European Commission over the past five financial years:
	2008-09—£140.475 million;
	2007-08—£22.154 million;
	2006-07—£3.049 million;
	2005-06—£22.608 million; and
	2004-05—£12.170 million.
	It is not possible to provide a detailed list as requested because it would incur disproportionate costs, but in summary:
	payments are deducted from subsequent claim reimbursements, two months after the correction decision is formally published, but with the exception of late payment penalties, which are deducted at the time of the claim being submitted. In this case the correction decision is retrospective;the largest reductions have been approximately £60 million for the failure to meet payment deadlines on SPS 2005 claims and approximately £55 million for the inaccurate determination of the area eligible for payments under the arable area payment scheme (AAPS) in 2004 and 2005; andthey have been financed via a separate ring-fenced budget.

Safeguarding Children and Development Unit (Project Violet)

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government in each of the years since the formation of the Safeguarding Children and Development Unit (Project Violet), what financial and human resources they have allocated to the unit; how many cases the unit has investigated; and what support the unit has provided to the Metropolitan Police and other United Kingdom police forces.

Lord West of Spithead: The Home Office has not provided any financial or human resources to the Safeguarding Children and Development Unit. This unit is part of the Metropolitan Police Service and was initiated in 2005 as a response to public and community concern about the abuse linked to belief in spiritual possession.
	The team was instigated to identify prevention opportunities for certain types of child abuse and actively engaged with the Congolese community delivering training, implementing safeguards and establishing networking infrastructures to help eradicate the practice. With the knowledge gained via Project Violet, the partnership team also advises on investigations and, where able, offers practical support such as attending strategy meetings and identifying expert witnesses on cultural practises for court purposes.
	Project Violet has now moved to a reactive phase and provides specialist advice to all police services.

Wales: Drug and Alcohol Crime

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many drug and alcohol-related crimes there were in Wales in (a) 2006, (b) 2007, (c) 2008, and (d) 2009 to date.

Lord West of Spithead: Data collected centrally on recorded crime do not identify whether offences are drug- or alcohol-related. The recorded crime statistics do include data for specific drug offences recorded by the police in Wales, and these are given in the table for the past three financial years. Data for 2008-09 are not yet available.
	
		
			 Drug offences recorded by the police in Wales, 2005-06 to 2007-08 
			Number of offences 
			 Offence 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 
			 Trafficking in controlled drugs 1,285 1,354 1,623 
			 Possession of controlled drugs (cannabis) 5,962 6,445 7,677 
			 Possession of controlled drugs (excluding cannabis) 2,223 2,707 3,381 
			 Other drug offences 28 22 19 
			 Total 9,498 10,528 12,700

Wales: Muggings and Burglaries

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many reported muggings and burglaries there were in Wales in (a) 2006, (b) 2007, (c) 2008, and (d) 2009 to date.

Lord West of Spithead: The available information comes from the police recorded crime statistics. Mugging is a popular rather than a legal term and it comprises of robbery, attempted robbery and snatch theft from the person. Police recorded crime does not separately record the small category of snatch theft.
	Data for police recorded offences of robbery and burglary in Wales have therefore been provided in the table for the past three financial years. Data for 2008-09 are not yet available.
	
		
			 Offences of robbery and burglary recorded by the police in Wales—2005-06 to 2007-08 
			   Number of offences 
			 Period Robbery Burglary 
			 2005-06 1,137 26,318 
			 2006-07 1,354 26,774 
			 2007-08 1,260 26,621

Young Offenders: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of young offenders in prison in Northern Ireland are considered to have education disabilities; and what special arrangements are available for such offenders.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: It is not possible to state what percentage of young offenders in prison in Northern Ireland have education disabilities, as the Northern Ireland Prison Service does not routinely screen inmates. However, individual inmates are screened if the inmate or staff identify a need to do so.
	At Hydebank Wood young offender centre, inmates have an educational assessment within 20 days of committal, which assesses literacy and numeracy ability, and they are also screened for indicators of dyslexia. Inmates are asked to make the assessor aware of any other known learning difficulties, in particular ADHD.
	Individual arrangements are made for those identified as having an education disability, and could include one-to-one tuition in education classes.